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Monaghan GAA thread - 4 Like(s)
Best wishes and many thanks to Gabriel Bannigan for his time as Monaghan manager. It is easy to forget how bleak the situation looked when he took over from Vinny a couple of years ago. No takers at the time so it took a real Monaghan football man to step up.
Plenty of good days in the meantime. A great league campaign in 2025 capped with a really enjoyable spin to Croke Park, a decent win over Cavan in USFC '26 to end a horrible run of results there, then a miracle win v Derry and a brave showing in the Ulster Final. The wins v Roscommon and Westmeath were great days, as too was the Louth game in Newbridge last year. Not a bad highlight reel. On the flip side, the failure to make the right calls in the last 20 v Donegal in Clones last year, and two very disappointing quarter finals in HQ were hard to take. Especially against a quite beatable Louth. You could argue too that we left an Ulster title behind this year.
All told, the man has done the county some service indeed and we should be optimistic for the medium term. The players are there. Clean slate needed for a few big options too.
Big call ahead for the county board. It's hard to know where to go next, but very clear where not to turn. Avoid the 'back to the future' option, that's for certain.
Eddie the Exile (National) - 27/08/2026 22:34:43
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"It's Worrying For Hurling!" - 3 Like(s)
Replying To Seanfan: "NO to compulsory hurling!!
Let the enthusiasts play it, coach, train etc.
Areas where hurling hasn't existed (since 1884 anyway) have no interest in it and trying to ram it into us isn't going to work." Further proof of the statement I often make about horse, water, and drink whenever there are calls made for more to be done to develop hurling in areas where it currently has little or no presence.
To my mind, hugely unfortunate that such a large proportion of the so-called GAA community has so little interest in one of the two main sports of the GAA, but that's the way things are.
Pikeman96 (National) - 27/08/2026 12:09:12
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International Rules - 2 Like(s)
Replying To Bon: "But Viking what's wrong with a guy wanting to win things? And if there is a guy like that playing on a team where a lot of his teammates have no ambition and maybe not putting it in why should he have to stay there? As I've said before life is too short to give so much of your time to something and get nothing from it. Be loyal to yourself first and foremost." The soccer mindset, think about yourself & yourself only. The GAA isn't soccer. The GAA is an organisation firmly grounded in a ethos of community where you give as a collective to better your community, the mentality of a rising tide lifts all boats. The GAA have some of the finest facilities in the land for the benefit of their members, that didn't come by accident or by everyone thinking about themselves.
No one is forced to play or administer within the GAA, it won't suit all. That fine but lets not start comparing to other sports when the ethos is completely different.
Square_B (National) - 27/08/2026 11:40:29
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"It's Worrying For Hurling!" - 1 Like(s)
NO to compulsory hurling!!
Let the enthusiasts play it, coach, train etc.
Areas where hurling hasn't existed (since 1884 anyway) have no interest in it and trying to ram it into us isn't going to work.
Seanfan (National) - 27/08/2026 11:16:27
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Galway Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Weekend predictions:
Mountbellew v Claregalway: I think the return of B McHugh will give Mountbellew a big lift and should see them over the line in this by 3+.
Corofin v Killanin: Corofin to win by 7+
Milltown v Bearna: If Hernon is out for Bearna that is a huge loss, presuming he does play I still think Milltown are a dogged team that will find a way by 4+.
Salthill Knocknacarra v Caltra: Salthill have a lot of guys funneling back in and this will be a very long afternoon for Caltra. SK by 12+.
Moycullen v Monivea Abbey: Moycullen to win by 7+.
Dunmore v Naomh Anna: Naomh Anna will feel they have a chance in this one due to the amount of goals Dunmore are leaking. I do think Naomh Anna would need at least 3 goals to have a chance of winning which I can't see them doing. They only have 1 goal in their 2 games and averaged 12 points a game compared to Dunmore's 25 points. Dunmore by 5+.
Annaghdown v Oughterard: This group is fascinating and will be the one everyone is eagerly anticipating. Really tough game to call here, I do think there might be a bit more improvement in Oughterard which might see them shade this by 1+.
St James v Tuam Stars: Tuam the only one of the "Big 4" who haven't stuck to the script and it's crazy to think they could be out of the championship this weekend. The Jimmies will be kicking themselves having given up big leads in both of their games. I think this game could go down to the wire and it may come down to who wants it more when the game is in the melting pot. I think Tuam's quality might just get through here by 2+.
BadgerDog (National) - 27/08/2026 11:32:04
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Wexford Hurling Thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Viking66: "I think James Byrne has maybe something to offer, Darren Codd too.
Others who might commit under new management, some of them especially if the backroom team is as suspected-
Conor Mac
Cathal Dunbar
Ian Carty
Gary Molloy
Charlie Mcguckin?
Mikie Dwyer if fully recovered from his operation
Jack Cullen?
Darragh Farrell" Surely time for wexford to move on from mikie dwyer and mcguckian. Both not good enough. Focus on the sean obriens, mooney, roarke,etc
richiepmurphy (National) - 27/08/2026 11:57:18
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"It's Worrying For Hurling!" - 1 Like(s)
Replying To yew_tree: "It's hard to change culture in a short timeframe. A new hurling club was setup in south Mayo in recent years but the fact is football is number one and always will be. It's culture and it's in the blood. I'm sure if a football delegation went to Kilkenny they wouldn't get much support.
John Meyler on OTB saying hurling should be compulsory for ALL GAA clubs. I'm not sure how statements like that help. From my own area underage football clubs are amalgamating all over the place. Not sure throwing hurling into the mix of which there is zero knowledge or expertise is going to help." "I'm sure if a football delegation went to Kilkenny they wouldn't get much support"
Why would a football delegation want to go to Kilkeny? Football is played at all the GAA clubs in Kilkenny at various age levels, with county Senior, Intermediate and Junior championships.
There seems be a lot of ignorance spouted about football in Kilkenny by people who know nothing about it, just because the Kilkenny county football team doesn't play in the All-Ireland Senior Championship.
Cockney_Cat (National) - 27/08/2026 12:08:49
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Anti GAA Agenda - 1 Like(s)
Replying To ulsterrules: "I mentioned below as a potential, and today I see that the Derry club championship is only starting, even though the county has been out of the championship since 13th June, nearly 3 months, if they starterted the championship 3 weeks after they where knocked out of interCo they would be having a county Club Final this weekend.
For me I Would have the
National league from Jan to Mar
Championship from May to Aug (All Ireland last week of Aug)
Club League games played from May-Aug regardless of you missing an Inter Co player
Club Championship Sept to Oct
Everyone shut down for Nov
Remember as each week passes in the championship Counties are getting knocked out and the inter Co player returns to the club scene earlier." The problem with that is you don't know when your county will be knocked out, so it's very hard for club players to plan. At the moment, they have exact dates and can plan summer holidays etc accordingly.
I'm not sure why Derry started so late. In Galway we went a bit further in football than them and got to the hurling final and we've had two full rounds of both championships played already.
WanPintWin (National) - 27/08/2026 12:11:14
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Wicklow GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Albundy19: "Any thoughts on the weekend? In my opinion st Patrick's and Roundwood should tell us something about the standard of this year's championship. Also the young village side v Tinahealy should be interesting." Very interesting weekend ahead. I think AGB will beat kiltegan which will send them into the relegation. Eire og to beat Hollywood and Carnew to beat Bray. That will be the 3 teams in relegation. Tinahely could end up as 4th team from bottom and season over because of their score difference. Baltinglass and Blessington will be a good match but both teams should progress to the quarterfinals
kodak13 (National) - 27/08/2026 13:06:57
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Anti GAA Agenda - 1 Like(s)
Why are people still obsessed with the All Ireland at the end of August or start of September. It's not going to happen. Players are happy with this new schedule and it's more important to keep them happy than the couch potatoes with the remote control
Taypot (National) - 27/08/2026 13:14:55
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"It's Worrying For Hurling!" - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Seanfan: "There are historic reasons hurling is mainly confined to south of a Galway to Dublin line.
Better land, bigger farms, landlords promoting it....
I recall reading somewhere a game called "commons" (from camán I presume) was once played in Northern half of Ireland and was similar to shinty as in no hands and played in winter.
It died off due to population growth, no spare land, landlords not promoting it and ironically Protestants of Scottish ancestry opposing it.
Handling the ball and driving it long distances was a Munster/South Leinster thing plus obviously South Galway.
By the way how many GAA units promote rounders?" I'm well aware of the history of hurling and the variations of it that were played in different parts of the country. But the circumstances that prevailed in the distant days of the past shouldn't be seen as a handy reason for why things are the way they are today.
Every football club in Roscommon, for example, has a pitch upon which hurling could be played, could buy the equipment necessary for hurling, and can access basic hurling coaching courses that are available to everyone. The fact that your forefathers didn't have the same opportunities shouldn't be a reason for not doing it now. If you took that same view on everything, then you wouldn't have a car, or live in a house with electricity, or be online to read this.
Quick bit of googling tells me the Roscommon Soccer League has developed from just 10 teams when it was founded in the 1970s to more than 30 today. Seems reasonable to assume then that many new clubs were formed in areas where soccer was never played before. They didn't say "but there's no real tradition of soccer here, that sport has only ever been strong in other parts of the country". If new soccer clubs can be formed, why not new hurling clubs?
Not sure of the relevance of your rounders question, but a more pertinent question might be - if there was a move on to expand rounders to more areas, how many units would actively oppose it, in the way they oppose the notion of introducing hurling?
Pikeman96 (National) - 27/08/2026 15:54:14
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GAA Journalism - 1 Like(s)
Shane Rice Coaing is one of the best journalist in my opinions. He has coached great players in gaa such as Karl Gallagher, Sam Mulroy and many others. Hes also from the elite club of scostown so has a great insight to how they are so successful and is friends with key players such as Rory beggan so this gives him great insight to current set ups. Everything he writes for the Gaeliclife is always correct and many other journalists could learn off him. He does coach with Dublin clubs and PT so his knowledge is endless. Gentleman when meet him in person and is very popular on social media with young generation.
GAAFAN1234512345 (National) - 27/08/2026 16:41:50
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Monaghan GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Shocking treatment of GB.
ORIELMAN85 (National) - 27/08/2026 20:59:03
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